


Work Arounds

by AlltheB7



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Evil Author Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:29:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29482974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlltheB7/pseuds/AlltheB7
Summary: Another idea that never came to fruition.
Relationships: Seven of Nine/B'Elanna Torres
Kudos: 10





	Work Arounds

**Author's Note:**

> Another idea that never came to fruition.

B'Elanna had known for quite some time that Seven had an attraction towards her. That Seven found her "intriguing".

B'Elanna rolled her eyes at the choice of words. "Intriguing." Like she hadn't heard the word before from other humans. As if it were any different from the Starfleet jerks who said "You're hot, for a Klingon."

B'Elanna mulled it over in the mess hall, tearing into the rare piece of bread Neelix baked and didn't over salt. She enjoyed the thick crust with the leeola root stew. The two went well together and B'Elanna appreciated the unexpected treat of having a decent meal, even if she was in a dark mood.

B'Elanna's nostrils flared and she tore another piece off the small loaf with her teeth, remembering how a crew member's hand had wandered casually over Seven's bare back at one of Tom's parties. Seven had raised an eyebrow at him and his hand had stilled. But that didn't change the fact that B'Elanna was angry about it when it wasn't her place. Jealousy was not healthy in any relationship.

B'Elanna glared at the replicator as she chewed. It wasn't that Seven had sex that bugged B'Elanna. They were all stranded. And everyone needed to blow off the steam now and again. Sex was normal and expected. Hell, she knocked socks with other crew members from time to time.

She had thought that Seven would stick around with Chakotay, but to everyone's surprise, Seven moved on quickly. And if any of the rumors held a grain of truth, she had been "assimilating" new experiences quite frequently. While Seven seemed to appreciate "aesthetics", she apparently was not interested in committing to or had not found a "suitable mate".

And even if it stung, it didn't really bug her much when she found out that Tom and Seven had messed around a couple months ago. It had been a rude awakening, though not unexpected. Tom had spent over a year being single after they broke things off. Tom was a good person. Yeah, some considered him a bit too easy to smile, but honestly, a smile could get you a long way in the delta quadrant. And a smile was sometimes hard to come by. If B'Elanna were to choose someone who would respect another person when it came down to it, it would be Tom. Considering everything that Seven had been through, Tom would be a kind and considerate partner, even if it was brief. B'Elanna smiled sadly and centered her thoughts on that thought, letting anger seep away.

"What's grinding your gears?" Tom smiled briefly as he sat down with his lunch tray, eyes darting across the table at B'Elanna as he settled down and readied to eat lunch. His tone was light and his concern genuine, not pressing.

B'Elanna snorted before swallowing. "Just another day in the delta" she scooped stew into her mouth.

Tom raised his eyebrows and took a bite; he knew when B'Elanna was worked up over a situation, and he knew she was avoiding answering. Whatever thoughts she had today were going to stay her thoughts. 

He continued, unfazed by B'Elanna's demeanor. B'Elanna in a huff was not news. "So Harry and I have come up with an idea for our next shipwide party." Tom waited a moment, partly for dramatic effect, but mostly to sip some water.

"Oh?" B'Elanna let her mind drift away from Seven and focused on Tom.

Tom nodded and swallowed, eyes lighting up, "So, imagine 21st century dance parties. Black lights, thumping music, a DJ--"

"Black lights? Are you serious?" B'Elanna feigned insult. "Black lights are for children."

Tom smiled at B'Elanna, eager for the challenge. "Not the kind I'm talking about." He scooped more stew into his mouth and B'Elanna smiled at his enthusiasm. For a moment she wished she could have made a relationship work with him.

"Okay, flyboy, if you say so." B'Elanna stood and lifted her tray. "I've gotta get back to engineering. Hoverball tomorrow?" They'd made plans a week ago and she honestly was surprised her own schedule had remained clear.

The doors opened, Seven strode into the mess hall, and just like that, B'Elanna's smile dropped.

"Of course," Tom replied. "Hey, Seven," he greeted pleasantly.

Seven raised her chin "Hello, Ensign Paris." The taller woman then turned to B'Elanna as the lieutenant recycled the tray "Hello, Lieutenant Torres."

B'Elanna suppressed her instinctual ire and returned the greeting "Hello, Seven." She walked past the ex drone and bristled at Seven's warm and inviting scent. B'Elanna shook her head and stopped the growl from reaching her throat as she strode out of the mess hall.

* * *

B'Elanna was bent over the console with Carey when she heard the engineering doors open and a signature staccato make its way toward her. Carey noticing the way chief stiffened, smiled genially in understanding. B'Elanna smiled back and rolled her eyes, readying for Seven.

B'Elanna turned and stood up, expecting to see the usual cool Borg exterior. Seven came to a smooth stop and raised her chin. B'Elanna could smell her sweat and see that her skin was flushed. B'Elanna's nostrils flared and she clamped her mouth shut against the flood of emotion. Seven had either been in the holodeck earlier or--

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant." Seven kept her tone even, but B'Elanna could sense there was a tension to it. She eyed Seven's neck, as if she could see the source of tightness in Seven's voice.

"Hey. What can I do for you?" B'Elanna's nostrils kept picking up the smell, unable to block Seven's scent as she mentally pushed herself to meet Seven's eyes.

Seven's brow twitched slightly, telling B'Elanna that her response had not been "calculated" by the Astrometrics officer.

"I am here to report that there is an anomaly in Astrometrics' system. It is of unknown origin and I cannot seem to repair it."

Did she hear that right?--Seven admitting to not knowing something and not being able to fix it? That was unusual.

"Would you come look at it, Lieutenant?"

"How critical is this anomaly? Are your systems operational or can this wait?" B'Elanna decided she'd help, but she needed to prioritize her work. She had some repairs scheduled with Carey and would honor those plans if the situation was not critical.

Seven shifted her stance slightly and responded in a lower tone. "It is critical. I cannot accurately gauge anything beyond that at this time."

B'Elanna tilted her chin to the side. Very unusual. "Give me a moment and I'll see what I can do." B'Elanna turned to Carey, who was working at the console, "The scheduled repairs on the port nacelle are on a PADD on the left side of my desk. Could you pull a team together and begin those when you're done here?"

Carey thought a moment, "Yes, Chief. If I have any issues I'll contact you on the comm."

B'Elanna wanted to be there for the repairs, but this was a fairly routine task for her crew. Having recently scraped by a Borg cube, she was glad Voyager had not been more banged up in the encounter. The repairs needed were nothing large in scope, but that did not mean they were not needed.

The delta quadrant had definitely taught them a lesson on which repairs would be needed soon after firefights. The learning gradient had been steep and costly. Those still on her team were solid engineers capable of handling multiple critical tasks under incredible pressure. Carey could handle most of the repairs and warp drive without any issue. That fact--and the edict the captain had given "to get along with Seven"--made it clear that B'Elanna make more of an effort to "get along" with the Astrometrics officer.

"Good, thank you." With that said, B'Elanna gathered an engineering kit and turned back to Carey, "I'll be in Astrometrics if you need anything."

"Aye, sir."

B'Elanna followed Seven out of engineering and to the turbo lift. The two entered silently and stood a moment. B'Elanna turned to Seven, eyes gazing intently, "Bugs you, doesn't it?"

Seven replied, looking ahead at the lift doors. "You are implying that I do not like when I cannot fix something." A pause in her speech as she straightened slightly, then "That is accurate."

In spite of the situation, B'Elanna smiled. "I'm surprised you didn't fix it. We rarely get calls from your department." Since there was no question, the taller woman remained silent. B'Elanna held back the sigh. "So where is the issue?"

Seven shifted and raised her chin, "I am unsure. I would prefer to show you."

At that, B'Elanna's eyebrows shot up. "You're unsure? That's a new one."

"It is...frustrating." Seven conceded, a furrow dipping between her eyes briefly.

Seven unable to fix an issue AND to have no idea how to fix it? The odds were... only calculable by someone like Seven. B'Elanna let out a laugh. Whether or not she saw eye-to-eye with Seven, she could definitely relate to being stuck. "Welcome to the delta quadrant, Seven."

Seven turned to B'Elanna with a confused expression. "I have been in the delta quadrant for longer than you or Voyager."

Unwilling to stop herself this time, B'Elanna rolled her eyes and jutted her jaw to the side. She shook her head and sighed, choosing to let out steam and explain rather than bottle it down. "Everyone has a moment out here where their patience is tested," she proffered. "It seems that today is your day."

Seven considered. "It would appear so."

B'Elanna took another measured breath and followed Seven into the Astrometrics lab. It was slightly warmer and smelled like Seven. B'Elanna stopped a few feet from the console and closed her eyes and pushed down her rising blood. She hated how easily Seven could stir her blood. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. Centering her thoughts, B'Elanna opened her eyes to Seven watching her.

"Are you okay, Lieutenant?"

B'Elanna drew her lips into a sardonic line. "I'm functioning within acceptable parameters, thank you," she quipped. B'Elanna's feelings were none of Seven's business.

Seven blinked and headed to the console. "Indeed. Here, allow me to show you what I have encountered." With that, Seven stopped at the main console and began entering commands. B'Elanna watched the read out display as Seven entered the parameters.

"The console isn't following your commands." B'Elanna leaned closer, no longer distracted by Seven's scent. This was interesting. "Have you looked at the algorithms?" she asked absently.

Seven cleared her throat. "I have checked the algorithms, the relays, and the wiring of our consoles."

B'Elanna narrowed her eyes at the machine. "Have you noticed any pattern to the incorrect readings?"

"No. But I have begun compiling the results since I noticed the error." She handed B'Elanna a PADD.

"Any anomalies detected before this began?" B'Elanna began reading the results. Something was there and she couldn't put her finger on it. She bit the corner of her lower lip and racked her brain. 

"None that I have found" Seven stated flatly.

"Would you mind if I called in Harry?" B'Elanna asked, looking up to Seven.

Seven had been watching B'Elanna's lips and her eyes darted back up and she paused. "No."

"Okay," B'Elanna didnt have time to worry about Seven's staring. If Astrometrics was down, they were hanging in space virtually blind.

B'Elanna slapped the comm badge on her chest. "Torres to Kim."

"Harry here."

"Hey Harry, we're having an issue here in Astrometrics. I'm going to send the data Seven has compiled and I'd appreciate if you could compare it to some of the known files." She went over to the console and began configuring the data from the PADD. The computer was not wanting to follow the commands, so B'Elanna tried override commands. It still didn't work. She looked over to Seven.

"Sure thing, send it over" Harry replied.

"I'm not sure I can, but I will let you know when we send them" B'Elanna distractedly responded as she finished. "Thanks, Harry," and she slapped the comm badge. She looked back over at Seven.

"Well, looks like we've got a real problem" B'Elanna said to the console as she leaned back. She crossed her arms and bit the side of her thumb. An idea loathe to her rolled through her mind. She breathed deep before she spoke.

"Have you tried using Borg techniques on the console?"

Seven stood straighter at the console, "I do not--"

B'Elanna's eyebrow raised, unimpressed, before she interrupted. "Look, Seven. I know you use Borg encryptions. We all know you do because we all run into them. I'm not interested in busting you for using them. I am asking if you have tried using them to work around the issue?"

Tal Celes had been shuffling by quietly and coughed, covering a laugh.

Seven set her jaw and replied, "I have tried using Borg methods with no success."

B'Elanna pressed her lips together and huffed. She had been hoping that the former drone still had a trick up her sleeve. If Seven had tried her best, they'd simply have to start at square one.

B'Elanna inhaled deeply and sighed. "Well, let's start by running a diagnostic and we'll work our way through the systems."

Seven looked like she was going to sigh, though she did not. "Of course," she replied stoically.


End file.
